Welkatsu Stacking Guide: Combining PayPay Campaigns with the 1.5x Rate
Brand rebate campaigns require you to pay with PayPay. The Welkatsu 1.5x rate requires you to pay with WAON POINT. The two conditions collide head-on, so what split actually maximises your return? This guide works it back from PayPay’s own award rules.
- Brand rebates require paying with PayPay; the Welkatsu 1.5x rate requires paying with WAON POINT. So you split the bill.
- The old trick of paying just ¥1 with PayPay no longer works. PayPay caps its award rate at 66.5% of the transaction.
- The formula is minimum PayPay share = campaign rate ÷ 66.5%. At 30% back that is 45.1%; at 20% back, 30.1%.
- 🔴 Since 2 June 2026, anything you pay with PayPay points is deducted from the award base. Pay the PayPay share with balance or card instead.
- For Welkatsu itself — how the 1.5x works, what you need, how to build up points — see the Welkatsu Complete Guide.
01Why stacking is awkward
Welcia regularly runs manufacturer campaigns — Kao, P&G, Unilever and others — offering “up to X% back on selected products”. Stack the monthly Welkatsu day on top and the discount gets deep fast.
The problem is that the two conditions contradict each other.
Most of them require payment by PayPay. No PayPay, no campaign points.
Only the portion paid in WAON POINT gets 1.5x. Whatever you pay with PayPay does not.
Put the whole bill on either side and you throw the other away entirely. So you split it: some in PayPay, the rest in WAON POINT. The only real question is the ratio — and that is decided by PayPay’s rules.
02The 66.5% rule and the formula
There used to be a well-known trick: pay ¥1 with PayPay and everything else with WAON POINT — technically satisfying the “paid with PayPay” condition while keeping the 1.5x on almost the whole basket. That no longer works.
In other words, paying ¥1 caps your reward at 66.5% of ¥1 — effectively nothing.
- Minimum share to pay with PayPay= campaign rate ÷ 66.5%
- Example: 30% back30 ÷ 66.5 = 45.1%
- Example: 20% back20 ÷ 66.5 = 30.1%
- Pay the rest with WAON POINTonly this part gets 1.5x
Quick reference by campaign rate
| Campaign rate | Min PayPay share | WAON POINT share |
|---|---|---|
| 30% | 45.1% | 54.9% |
| 20% | 30.1% | 69.9% |
| 10% | 15.0% | 85.0% |
| 5% | 7.5% | 92.5% |
03A worked example
Say you are buying ¥10,000 of products covered by a 30% campaign.
¥10,000 × 45.1% = ¥4,510. That is your PayPay floor.
¥10,000 − ¥4,510 = ¥5,490. On the 20th that is 1.5x, so you need 5,490 ÷ 1.5 = 3,660 WAON POINT.
¥4,510 in real money plus 3,660 points. Valuing a point at ¥1, your outlay is about ¥8,170.
The campaign returns ¥10,000 × 30% = 3,000 WAON POINT later. ¥8,170 − ¥3,000 = ¥5,170, an effective discount of about 48%.
04What changed in June 2026
When stacking, it is tempting to cover that 45.1% with PayPay points — but doing so shrinks the base your campaign reward is calculated on. Pay the PayPay share with balance or a PayPay Card instead.
The same update also stopped counting unverified accounts towards PayPay Step. If you plan to do this seriously, complete identity verification first.
05The right order on the day
Many campaigns require registration in advance, and realising afterwards is often too late. Register on the brand’s official page first.
Campaigns often carry a “spend at least ¥X in one transaction” condition, so check you are over the line.
Say “PayPay de ○○ en, nokori wa WAON POINT de shiharaimasu” (「PayPayで○○円、残りはWAON POINTで支払います」). The amount comes from section 02. Say it before they start, or one side may not go through.
Some campaigns need receipt details to claim. Photograph it or keep the paper. If the line 「感謝デー特別値引」 is printed, the 1.5x was applied.
The claim deadline is often earlier than the purchase deadline. Doing it the same day is safest.
06Common mistakes
- Paying the whole bill with PayPay — no WAON POINT used, so no 1.5x at all.
- Paying the whole bill with WAON POINT — the PayPay condition is unmet, so no campaign points.
- Paying just ¥1 with PayPay — you hit the 66.5% cap and receive essentially nothing.
- Covering the PayPay share with PayPay points — since June 2026 that amount is deducted from the award base.
- Shopping on a day other than the 20th — the 1.5x applies only on the 20th. The campaign alone works any day, but that is not stacking.
- Missing the claim deadline, or buying non-eligible items — even within one brand, often only certain lines qualify.
07Finding the current campaigns
Brand campaigns rotate every month, and any given month’s list is useless the month after. The reliable approach is to check the primary sources yourself. There are three places.
Lists the campaigns and coupons currently running. Open it before the 20th and note which brands qualify.
Shelf tags on eligible products show the rate and conditions. The “spend ¥X in one go” threshold is quickest to confirm here.
Where you register and claim. The award cap, deadline and eligible product lines are authoritative here.
08FAQ
Has the ¥1 PayPay trick really stopped working?
Yes. PayPay caps the point award rate at 66.5% of the amount paid in a single transaction. If you pay ¥1, your maximum reward is 66.5% of ¥1 — effectively zero. You have to pay a share proportional to the campaign rate.
Can I cover the PayPay share with PayPay points?
Not recommended. Since 2 June 2026, points are awarded on the amount remaining after any PayPay points you spend are deducted. Pay the PayPay share with balance or a PayPay Card.
Can I claim the campaign on days other than the 20th?
Yes. Brand campaigns run for their whole period, any day. But the 1.5x rate applies only on the 20th, so stacking requires shopping on the 20th.
What discount does stacking actually produce?
Roughly 48% for a 30% campaign combined with the 1.5x rate, valuing returned points at ¥1 each. Saving those points for the following month’s Welkatsu pushes it higher. Anything above the campaign’s award cap does not come back, so overbuying lowers your average.
What exactly do I say at the register?
Lead with “PayPay de ○○ en, nokori wa WAON POINT de shiharaimasu” — PayPay for ¥○○, the rest in WAON POINT. If you start without stating the amount, the whole transaction may be rung up one way.
I am still not clear on Welkatsu itself.
How the 1.5x works, what you need, how to build up WAON POINT and how to convert from V Point are all in the Welkatsu Complete Guide. Read that first, then come back to stacking.
—Summary
- Divide the campaign rate by 66.5% to get your minimum PayPay share
- 30% back means 45.1% via PayPay; 20% back means 30.1%
- Pay the PayPay share with balance or card, never with PayPay points
- Pay the remainder with WAON POINT — that part gets 1.5x
- Register before you buy, claim promptly after
- Do not buy past the award cap
- PayPay help, “Points not awarded / award rate looks wrong” (66.5% cap per transaction)
- PayPay point award rule change of 2 June 2026 (points awarded on the amount after deducting points used)
- The Welcia group app and each brand’s official campaign announcements